Kitchen Files

All the good stuff to eat. A mish mash of unsorted culinary explorations from my kitchen. Enjoy.

[French Lentil Soup]

1/2 cup dry french lentils

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrot

2 cups chopped onion

2-3 cloves crushed garlic

4-5 cups vegetable of beef stock (or more)

olive oil

In a large stock pot, heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil and cook the root vegetables until tender. Then add the garlic, lentils and beef stock. Simmer for 30-40 mins or desired tenderness of lentils.

With a slotted spoon, set aside a cup or two of the vegetable mixture. With a hand mixer or blender, bring it to a “smooth-ish” consistency and put it back into the rest of the soup. This gives the soup a nice hearty consistency.

My tips and tricks : The lentils will absorb liquid while the soup is simmering so I add some stock to the soup if it seems too thick. Actually, even as the soup cools, the lentils will absorb more liquid so I often adjust it when I’m ready to reheat a bowl. As with any of my soups, I usually eye-ball the measurements. This is a great soup for those cold afternoons and is really filling ! It freezes well too. Enjoy.

[Butternut Squash and White Bean potage]

4-5 cups of cubed squash

1/2 cup shallots

3 cloves of garlic (crushed)

can of white beans (drained and rinsed)

1 tbs grated ginger

1 pear – cored and cubed

olive oil

vegetable or chicken broth

In a large stock pot, heat oil and cook shallots until translucent. Add garlic and cubed squash and cook until squash is tender. Then, add white beans, grated ginger and pear. Pour in broth until it just covers the mixture and simmer for 20-30 mins.

Use a hand mixer or blender to puree it into a nice smooth texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Done.

My tips and tricks :

I use frozen butternut squash for this recipe and although I’ve indicated measurements, I usually just eyeball it when I’m making this potage- or any soup for that matter. I tend to use less broth and then once I’ve pureed it, I add some if I find it too thick.

The white beans give this soup a nice consistency and it’s very filling too. The ginger and pear give it that extra special something that you can’t quite put your finger on. It freezes nicely as well. Soups are my go-to lunch when I’m in a hurry. Combine this with a sandwich and you’re set.